Joseph Sciuto's Blog: A Curious View: A Compilation of Short Stories by Joseph Sciuto, page 16

ALICE HOFFMAN’S, “FAITHFUL”

Ms. Hoffman’s, “Faithful” is not the literary gems that “The Dovekeepers,” and “The World We Knew” I felt were. There is no magic, spells, or unearthly but loving creatures in this book. This is a book about grief, penance, and redemption. It is exactly the lack of magic that makes this book so magical.

Shelby and her closest friend Helene, take out Shelby’s car on a miserable, icy night on Long Island. Shelby does not want to go, but Helene talks her into it. Shelby, who maybe puts on her seatbelt 3 out of 10 times, fastens up this night. Helene, who always puts on her seatbelt, doesn’t as she is too busy talking. They skid off the road and crash. Shelby is pulled from the wreckage with a minor injury, and Helene is left in a comatose state.

The grief that Shelby feels is overwhelming. They were both getting ready to graduate from high school and were getting ready to go off to college. Shelby is put into a psychiatric ward for three months where she is abused and when released spends all her time in the basement of her family’s home, occasionally escaping to buy weed from a boy named Ben.

Ben and Shelby eventually move to Manhattan and share a small apartment. Shelby, at first doesn’t want to communicate with other humans, and so she steals a number of dogs who were being mistreated and who give her great comfort. It is from here that her overwhelming grief starts to lessen just a bit, and we see the slow but painful recovery from the grief and the discovery of a future.

This is a painful, but beautiful story. It is all so very human. It might not be a literary gem, but my God it is a mesmerizing book.

Graeme Ratcliffe’s review of Fields of Grace

Wendy Waters has managed to achieve something not often found in the contemporary novel. Her marvellously entertaining book, Fields of Grace, is at once literary yet as plot-driven as a spy thriller. Some writers are quite utilitarian in their use of language, they write well, often very well, but they render in charcoal. Ms Waters does not. She is Monet with a pen, and though her colours shine, they never detract from the drawing beneath, a well-structured and gripping yarn. Gripping, not only because of the emotional investment we can’t help but make in her lovingly realised characters, but also because of the care she takes with their backstories and their various fascinating, quirky, frequently amusing, sometimes sad and, at one point, truly terrifying journeys. From the opening pages I found myself intrigued by Grace Fielders, a woman with a past as exotic, mysterious and hidden as her old trunk, locked away, unopened for so many years. This trunk serves purposes historical, romantic and magical, a capsule to another time and place, the girl who still dances within the dying flesh of this determined yet gentle, ancient lady. A former actress from mystical, rural Devon, Grace relates to her granddaughter, Sam, the untold, erstwhile secret story of her early life, the world she knew before her life became mundane. We find her in the company of an eclectic group of stoically happy, yet emotionally unfulfilled, denizens of 1930s London, boarding at Wyncote House in Gloucester Mews. It is a cozy, very English place, but Grace will not be there for long. Talented and determined she soon finds herself launched into the dazzling world of the theatre. It is here that we meet the famous personalities. Woven seamlessly into the narrative, they tumble out in affectionate and sometime hilarious detail. We find John Gielgud nibbling on cake crumbs from his plate while he sips his tea and gossips resolutely. We are party to the shenanigans of Peggy Ashcroft, the saltiness of Harry Andrews and so much more, all these characters speaking in a voice ringing with authenticity. This is a world now gone but delicious to encounter, even if we might only take a tiny peek. Ms. Waters evokes, with a keen eye, the hazardous world of the theatre in a way that might find the reader giggling, if not contorted in a belly laugh, especially if the reader has ever dared to tread the boards. However, I have barely scratched the surface; there is so much more to this woman’s life. Suffice to say, from the curtain calls of the West End to the back alleys of Nazi Berlin to enigmatic ‘amberglow’, Fields of Grace is a thought provoking, intriguing, sometimes rollicking, sometimes distressing, world-class yet, still largely, hidden treasure. Take her key and unlock Grace’s hidden dusty trunk; you won’t be disappointed.

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“ALICE HOFFMAN’S, “THE DOVEKEEPERS,”

I will summarize Ms. Hoffman’s, “The Dovekeepers,” in one simple sentence: A wonderful, mesmerizing, dazzling work of literature that I wish never came to an end.

“FREEDOM’S DAUGHTERS,’ BY LYNNE OLSON.

If you knew nothing about the civil rights movement, about the prejudice against black Americans, from the 1830’s (the book starts around the 1830’s, but slavery goes all the way back to 1619) to the 1970’s you might think that many stories in this books were made up by a demonic, unstable, writer but sadly that is not true and the demonic forces, at this very moment in time, seem to be making an astonishing comeback thanks to the Republican Party and men like Trump, and Governor Abbot in Texas.

Lynne Olson, author of “Freedom’s Daughters,” is an amazing historian, a wonderful writer, but what I like most about her is that she brings to the forefront the unsung heroes in her books, whether it be a little known US ambassador to Britain that stressed over and over again to President Roosevelt the need to help Great Britain before we got involved in the War, or the brilliant Polish Pilots who without their help the British would have most likely been conquered by the Nazis.

In “Freedom’s Daughters,” Ms. Olson shines a bright and blinding light on the women of the civil rights movement of the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s who by every measure were the back bone behind the movement and whose courage was nothing short of heroic in the the face of lynching, rape, and the bombing of their homes (just to mention a few things). Many were the recruiters who went out and got other blacks involved through out the southern states and Northern Universities, the organizers behind the boycotts, the integration of the schools, the right to vote, fund raising, and who put pressure on Washington D.C. to do something about the ‘rights’ they were guaranteed and were denied by the white supremacist Senators, Governors, mayors, school boards, and police in the southern states. A few of the names of these tenacious leaders are: Diane Nash, Ella Baker, Septima Clark, Eleanor Roosevelt (who did much more than her husband to desegregate the army, the schools, and fighting for equal rights for all men and all women, black, or white) Dorothy Zellner, Donna Richards, Virginia Durr, and Rosa Parks who was famous for not giving up her seat on the bus but who had been active in the civil rights movement ten years previous and many years after.

This is the most important book I have read this year, and what I have written about is a tiny sample of the scope of this book and the civil rights movement, which, in turn, paved the path for the women’s movement, the gay movement, etc.

In closing, I just want to share a story. I cannot count the amount of people who have complained to me about how sick and tired they are of blacks and women in general always complaining, and they always seem to add and, “My God, they’ve already had a black president.”

And my replied is always the same, “Well, they have only been here for 400 years. I wouldn’t consider one in 400 very good odds. Whereas, it only took Catholics, who did not come in great numbers until the late 1890’s, only 70 years to elect a President. And as for women they have been here since Plymouth Rock, and outnumber males and yet not one has become President.”

“Nathalie, Confessions of a Fashion Model.”

What can I say? I picked up this book in the hope of learning something about Fashion models that I did not know. Instead, the first twenty pages and the last thirty pages are like reading a piece written by Marjorie Taylor Greene. I know, that is hard to believe because I’m quite sure Mrs. Greene doesn’t know how to write, or read, or put together a coherent thought.

I did learn a few things about the industry during the middle of the book and I am thankful for that. I just need to do further research to make sure it is true.

“ALL WILL BE REVEALED,” BY OLIVER CASH

Many years ago, I was sitting on a beach blanket on a secluded part of a beach in Malibu, Ca. I would go there about twice a week and marvel at the beauty of the ocean and the sea life, occasionally catching a glance at one of the beautiful young ladies passing by.

I would always bring a book, and a copy of that day’s New York Times. The New York Times has been a stable in my life for over fifty years and despite what many of my conservative friends believe: It is not a liberal rag. Yes, its editorials and opinions might lean toward the left but its reporting of the news, and its reporters are simply the best. At least, in my opinion.

On this particular day, I was reading an in-depth interview with Supreme Court Justice, Antonin Scalia. When asked about ‘reparations’ for the surviving families of former slaves he replied, “My Italian grandparents came to this country at the beginning of the century. They had nothing to do with slavery. Why should I or my children, or the children of other Italians, Irish, or Jewish families have to pay for a crime they had absolutely nothing to do with.”

I was never a very big fan of justice Scalia, especially in his later years, but that quote some forty years later has always remained with me. So, you ask, “what does ‘reparations’ have to do with Mr. Cash’s book. The answer is everything, and nothing at all.

“All Will Be Revealed,” is the third in the series, but it is not necessary to go back and read the previous two to understand the narrative. The author nicely intersperses quotes and references from the main character in the previous books into the current book, so the reader is never left in the dark.

The book opens with Stardom, a half alien and half human, addressing The United Nations, reporters, and people throughout the world. He has travelled the earth since the very beginning of time and is an emissary to God. He reports back to God on the progress of the human race, and just as God is ready to give up on humans, he convinces him to give him one more chance at straightening out humans and the ‘woke’ culture that has infested so much of the world and especially the United States.

Trinity, a young female reporter for a small news outlet, and a ‘woke’ enthusiast is chosen by Stardom for a one-on-one interview. At first, she is shocked to be picked, and then she realizes that this is the opportunity for her to make a name for herself and possibly win a Pulitzer. What she did not realize at the time, was that the interview was going to be unlike any interview she could ever have imagined.

Stardom takes her on a physical journey across time. In a sense, it is like Virgil guiding Dante through the different circles of hell. He takes her back, to the frontier days when men and women worked hard, never asking for handouts, and who in the end became the backbone of what would become a great nation. In contrast, in today’s world you have people living on the streets, not working, and asking for handouts…such as welfare and food stamps.

He takes her back to times of trauma in her childhood and teen years and how she alienated lifelong friends who she tried to convince to join the ‘woke’ culture and disowned them when they didn’t go along with her.

He shows her the concentration camps, in operation this very day, in modern China where the communist are literally killing millions of Uyghur Muslims because of their religious beliefs, and yet the ‘woke’ culture that has taken over in the United States has simply turned a blind eye to it because it is not in their interests. He shows her the twenty thousand illegal aliens crossing the southern border of the United States without being tested for the covid-19 virus or being forced to take the vaccine like millions of Americans, and how critical-race theory is adversely distorting present day America.

Stardom transports Trinity to a place outside of earth’s orbit where the Nemensiums live. Creatures so disgusting that they sit on top of their excrement and urine, while they slouch down large quantities of slop brought to them every three hours by slaves…those humans so depraved by the manufactured pandemic that all they did was look at their cell phones and complain that anything would be better than the lives they were currently living. They had forgotten about God, and his teachings, and now their anything would be better is being slaves to these fetid creatures that live in caves while they look at computer screens and the dastardly happenings on planet earth.

Mr. Cash has softly trodden the line between dogma and fiction, and his use of extraterrestrials (aliens) actually enhances the bold and controversial positions he shines a bright light on. In a sense, he uses them and the presence of a God as witnesses to the destructive nature of liberalism and the ‘woke’ culture. Unless one is willing to listen to opposing views, one can truly never know the truth about one’s positions. Mr. Cash has boldly stated his views, and whereas those positions might not correspond with my positions they have given me an insight and understanding into positions that a large portion of Americans adhere to. I have read all three books in the series, and each one left me pondering questions about the direction of our country and that was what I have loved so much about series, and why I strongly recommend his current book and the two previous in the series.

“Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of The Dead,” by Olga Tokarczuk.

“Drive Your Plow Over THE BONES OF THE DEAD,” by Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk is different to say the least, ‘weird,’ to quote another reviewer. At times I felt it difficult to continue to read, because I just didn’t care.

Janina, the main character, is an older lady who lives in a remote Polish village where most of the citizens flee during the winter because it is so unbearable. She is the narrator, and at times I found her the most annoying of all the characters. She is an extreme animal rights’ advocate and seems to prefer the company of animals over humans.

A number of murders are committed and Janina, with the help of astrology, is certain she knows who is responsible. So the novel turns into a murder mystery. The only problem being that even I figured out who the murderer was early on, and when it comes to murder mysteries I seldom solve the mystery.

For me, the most interesting thing about this novel was the quotes from William Blake, and one quote from Dante’s ‘Inferno.’ It is also possible, that my translation of the book from Polish to English was not the greatest… or quite simply it was just not my cup of tea.

“THE MARRIAGE OF OPPOSITES,” BY ALICE HOFFMAN

Mrs. Hoffman’s, “The Marriage of Opposites,” might fall a little short of her, “The World that We Knew, ” which I felt was a piece of literary brilliance, but not by much. It lacks the suspense of “The World that We Knew,” but its characters surely make up for the suspense. They are so well developed over a long time span, that when you finish reading the novel you sense a sudden sadness and loss.

Mrs. Hoffman’s understands nature, and the creatures and plant life that inhabit this planet like very few authors I have read. At once she reminds me of Joseph Conrad, Truman Capote, and Toni Morrison, and yet her style is her own.

She, like in her previous novel, tackles the subject of the Jewish religion, and its taboos, and why the Jewish people at times seem to flock together. The reason being the amount of prejudice the Jewish people have suffered for many centuries.

The book takes place mostly on the Island of Saint Thomas during the first half of the eighteen century, and is controlled by the Dutch who for the most part accept all people of different faiths and nationalities and set free their slaves before President Lincoln did in the U.S. with the Emancipation Proclamation. Yet traditions and fears still exist, and only gradually dissipate.

Another astonishing piece of literature by Ms. Hoffman. 

“A QUESTION OF HONOR,” BY LYNNE OLSON AND STANLEY CLOUD.

Over the last couple of years, individuals who I had once thought of as heroes, have fallen from that pedestal and I have come to view them less as heroes and more like traitors. In the fog of war, mistakes are made on the battlefield, in the military command structure, and in the governments that pay and sponsor their militaries.

Yet, there are certain acts of betrayal that I find unforgivable and President Franklin Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill committed acts of betrayal against Poland and the Polish military, who fought beside the British and Americans forces, that were not only despicable, traitorous, and cowardly but in Dante’s “Inferno” would land them in the final circle of hell with Lucifer.

In 1939 Poland was attacked by the Nazis and by the Russians. The Germans took control of one half of the country while their friends in arms at the time, the Russians and Stalin, took control of the other half. The U.S. and Britain promised the Polish government support but none showed up. The U.S. still didn’t have its act together and Great Britain was trying to hold off the Germans from taking over their country.

Shortly, thereafter, the French surrendered to the Germans without so much as a whimper. If you have ever wondered how Paris remained so much intact during the war, it’s because the French did not fight back and for all practical purposes handed their country over to the Germans.

While the French were doing the ‘two step’ the frame Polish pilots of “The Kosciuszko Squadron” made their way to Britain along with many in the Polish navy and infantry. But it was this Squadron of fighter pilots that would help the British win the the ‘Battle of Britain,’… so much so that without them it is very likely the English would have lost the battle and the Germans would have rolled right into Great Britain. The Hit (how many enemy planes you shot down) to Kill (how many of your planes were shot down and flyers killed) was as high as 10 to 1 in favor of the Polish pilots. In short, “The Kossciusko Squadron,” was superior to the British and German pilots and one could only imagine how many English lives this Squadron saved.

Their expertise continued throughout the war flying alongside the Americans and British. After being frustrated in their attempt to obliterate England, that madman of all madmen, Hitler, decided to attack his buddy Stalin. Hitler would have very likely conquered the Soviet Union if not for President Roosevelt sending him an abundance of arms and deadly weapons which the dictator did not even have the courtesy to thank our President who for unknown reason seemed to be in awe of the dictator.

Throughout the first half of the war, Churchill and Roosevelt promised the Polish government in exile, over and over again, that part of their war plan was to liberate Poland from the Nazis and Soviet forces. Actually, according to President Roosevelt the sole purpose of winning this war was to make sure every country in Europe would be liberated and able to choose their own form of government.

The French, who did not give up a fight, were liberated and given a place at the table with the Americans and British. But Poland, was handed over to the Russians, in one of the most underhanded betrayals of an ally in the history warfare. The country, who was arguably the most influential in helping win the war, besides the American and British was tossed to Stalin like a piece in a chess game and for the next forty-five years was under the totalitarian regime of Communist Russia.

President Roosevelt, out of ignorance and lack of empathy, went out of his way to appease the butcher of Moscow, and Churchill, the great orator, followed the President’s lead and went so far as to have articles printed in the British newspapers that were unfavorable toward the Polish while praising the leadership and sacrifice of Stalin and the Russian people.

A remarkable book, in a series of remarkable books I have read, that sheds an ugly light on the so called legends of World War 2.

“IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU, WOULD I HAVE THIS LOOK ON MY FACE?” BY ALAN ALDA

Let me just say at the start that I have a strong positive bias when in comes Mr. Alan Alda and the reasons are: 1) Like myself, he comes from the Bronx. 2)He graduated from Fordham University and I applied there and was rejected. I imagine the admissions’ people at the university are still laughing at my application some forty years later. 3)Mr. Alda’s first name is actually ‘Alphonso,’ which is the first name of a very special uncle of mine who we referred to as Uncle Al. 4) Like myself, from an early age he read the magazine “Scientific American,” and until this day it is the only magazine I subscribed to for over a ten year period; even though I doubt I understood more than one or two articles from each issue. 5) he started the ‘Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University and is a Visiting professor at the university. Stony Brook University is where I graduated from. 6) He was on one of my favorite T.V. shows of all time M*A*S*H.

Putting all that aside, Mr. Alda’s ‘If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating,’ is a humorous, educational, enlighten book on the importance of communication and the ability to possess EMPATHY not only in the field of acting but more importantly in the fields of medicine, science, and relationships. In short, it is a guide that helps people communicate and relate to one another more effectively. It teaches people, through improvisation training, how to read people in just a few seconds, and with that understanding how to relate to that person in a way that both of you are on the same wavelength.

If you tell a friend that you are looking for a new doctor and if he would recommend his doctor and he says, “Oh he’s great, but he has terrible bed side manners.” Right there a red sign should flash before your eyes. Having good bed side manners and being able to describe a problem to a patient in a simple, empathetic, easy to understand manner can clear up any miscommunications the patient might have and alleviate stress and avoid a disaster.

The book is full with stories like the above one, and Mr. Alda describes in an easy to understand ways how we can avoid these situations, and avoid making the same mistakes.

I loved this book.